1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safe protection wherein an attempted forced opening of the safe releases a repulsive chemical agent to deter further entry by the burglar. The present invention relates more particularly to a safe or vault protection system which deters attempted forced entry into the safe particularly when peeling the safe door at its edge portions is the attempted means of forced entry.
2. General Background and Prior Art
Presently known in the art is the use of breakable glass vials or tubes filled with repulsive chemical agent located in a metal base attached to the inside of the safe door. The base is so located so that when the combination dial mechanism is hammered or drilled into, or if the mechanism is pulled away from the safe door, a rod leading from the mechanism to the chemical retaining breakable glass vials, and attached to a metal bar or disc, applies pressure to the glass tubes sufficient to break the tubes in the base and release the gas into the atmosphere. Such a prior art type safe protector is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,029 issued to J. P. Fitzgerald and entitled "Safe Protector".
The present state of the art falls short of the full protection against safe break-ins since the singular use of the glass-tube base mechanism guards only against break-ins through the combination dial mechanism. The present invention is an improvement over such prior art safe protectors by providing a means for protecting against break-ins which occur as a result of forced attempts to "peel" the safe. "Peeling" a safe refers to forced attempts to gain entry to the safe by peeling or forcing the safe door away from its normal position using leverage, crow bars, jacks or the like. In like fashion, peeling refers to attempts to peel back layers of metal and or other materials comprising the safe door, or otherwise forcibly dismantling the door other than the combination dial portion itself.